The full species list
The table below is the catalogue as printed — species, cut, grain character, the polish that suits it, the 2026 rate per sq ft and the caution attached to each.
| Species | Cut | Character | Best polish | Rate per sq ft | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teak, Indian | Crown | Warm gold, prominent figure | Melamine or PU matt | Rs 240–380 | Darkens noticeably in the first year |
| Teak, Burma | Quarter | Straight, fine, even | PU satin | Rs 420–650 | Price varies with source; ask for the origin |
| Oak, white | Quarter | Straight grain with medullary flecks | PU matt | Rs 190–290 | Yellows under direct sun; film the glass |
| Oak, rustic | Crown | Knots and colour variation | Hardwax oil | Rs 210–320 | Variation is the point; do not reject sheets for it |
| Walnut, American | Crown | Chocolate with purple undertone | PU matt | Rs 320–480 | Lightens with sun, the opposite of teak |
| Walnut, burl | Rotary | Dense swirling figure | PU gloss | Rs 650–1,100 | Use in small panels; a full wall is overwhelming |
| Ash, white | Quarter | Pale, straight, understated | PU matt | Rs 180–260 | Takes stain evenly; good for a custom tone |
| Ash, smoked | Crown | Grey-brown, dramatic grain | PU matt | Rs 240–350 | Fumed colour is through-thickness, so edges match |
| Maple | Quarter | Near-white, almost grainless | PU satin | Rs 200–300 | Shows every fingerprint during installation |
| Cherry, American | Crown | Pink-brown, deepens richly | Melamine satin | Rs 280–420 | Colour change over two years is dramatic |
| Rosewood | Quarter | Deep red-brown with black streaks | PU gloss | Rs 480–780 | Check CITES documentation for the species |
| Wenge | Quarter | Near-black with fine pale lines | PU matt | Rs 380–560 | Very dark; needs strong lighting nearby |
| Ebony, Macassar | Quarter | Striped black and amber | PU gloss | Rs 900–1,600 | Book-match or it looks accidental |
| Zebrano | Quarter | Bold pale and dark stripes | PU satin | Rs 420–640 | Direction must be decided per panel on a drawing |
| Anigre | Quarter | Honey, subtle ribbon figure | PU satin | Rs 220–340 | Very consistent; good for large areas |
| Sapele | Quarter | Reddish with a ribbon stripe | PU matt | Rs 230–350 | Ribbon changes appearance with viewing angle |
| Bamboo, pressed | Laminated | Linear, technical, uniform | Hardwax oil | Rs 260–400 | Hard and brittle at the edges; band carefully |
| Reconstituted, grey | Engineered | Perfectly uniform, no natural defect | PU matt | Rs 170–260 | Matches sheet to sheet, which real veneer never will |
How to use the catalogue
- Choose the cut before the species. Quarter cut for large, calm areas and anything that has to match; crown cut where you want the panel to be the feature.
- Mark the actual bundle at the supplier. Veneer is sold in consecutive leaves from one log, and that sequence is what makes book-matching possible.
- Decide the polish at selection. Hardwax oil on rustic oak and seven-coat PU on walnut burl are different products producing different rooms, and the veneer cost is only part of the total.
- Draw the grain direction. On zebrano or a ribbon-figured sapele, the direction of each panel changes what the run looks like from across the room.
Three mistakes this prevents
- Ordering short. A veneer run finished from a second batch is visible from the door, permanently, and cannot be corrected by polishing.
- Expecting the delivered colour to stay. Indian teak darkens markedly and American cherry shifts over two years. Both are normal; neither is a defect.
- Putting burl across a whole wall. Dense figure needs to be framed by something calm, or the room becomes exhausting to sit in.
Download the catalogue (PDF) →
Read how to choose a furniture finish and compare with the laminate catalogue.
Frequently asked questions
Is veneer better than laminate?+
It is different, not strictly better. Veneer is real wood, so it can be polished, repaired and re-finished, and it has grain that laminate can only print. It is also three to five times the installed cost and it needs skilled site work. On a budget, good laminate beats badly executed veneer every time.
What does veneer cost fully finished?+
₹350 to ₹2,000 per sq ft of finished surface, ex-GST, once pressing, polishing and edge work are added to the sheet rate. That is the figure to compare against laminate at ₹950 to ₹3,100 per 8 x 4 ft sheet, which works out far lower per square foot.
Why do two veneer panels look different?+
Almost always because they came from different logs or different batches. Within one log, consecutive leaves match closely; across logs they do not, regardless of the species name on the invoice. This is why ordering 15 per cent extra at the start is cheaper than ordering more later.
Which veneer is best for Mumbai humidity?+
The veneer itself is only 0.5 mm thick, so the substrate and the pressing matter more than the species. Use BWP ply in wet areas and MR ply elsewhere, insist on proper pressing rather than site gluing, and seal all six faces of every panel including the back.
Can veneer be used in a kitchen?+
On tall units and wall units, yes, with a PU finish. Avoid it on base units near the sink and hob, where standing water and heat will eventually get into the edges. Most kitchens that use veneer combine it with laminate or acrylic on the working base run.